Mark Reads ‘The Android’s Dream’: Chapter 10

In the tenth chapter of The Android’s Dream, THIS BOOK IS CONTINUALLY SOMETHING I DID NOT EXPECT. WHAT THE FUCK. If you’re intrigued, then it’s time for Mark to read The Android’s Dream.

Chapter Ten

There is a lot of information here, and I think this chapter suffers from a bit too much exposition happening right after each other. Plus, I’ve been able to pick up the pattern that Scalzi’s used, which is to drop a bunch of seemingly unconnected exposition, and then connect it all with some big plot twist at the end of it, so it’s not terribly exciting for it to come up again like. For me, it makes the chapter feel really heavy, if that makes sense.

Still, this chapter does pack a wallop because of… well, that thing. That thing that happens that is just… goddamn it, I’ve been Scalzi’d AGAIN.

It was great to finally get a lot more information about the Common Confederation! We learn how many nations are in the CC, where the Nidu and Earth rank on that list (488th and 530th, respectively), and why it’s so significant that six Glar-class destroyers just popped into n-space, disappearing out of our radar field. Yeah, shit is going down, y’all.

And then I cannot read the conversation between Pope and Phipps at all without thinking of the ending. Usually, I do these reviews as chronologically as possible. It’s easier for me to organize my thoughts this way, and it helps with the narrative flow. So, I save my freak outs for chapter-ending plot twists until the end of the review!

Except now I can’t. Because I’m sitting here re-reading Phipps’s and Pope’s conversation, and it means something entirely different from the first time around. Clearly, the Defense Department realizes they’ve gone way, way too far, that it’s time they call in some favors to fix the potential disaster they’ve created. However, guess what I can’t ignore? Pope’s anti-Nidu xenophobia WAS MANUFACTURED BY SCHROEDER AND NARF-WIN-GETAG. AND HE DOESN’T EVEN FUCKING KNOW IT. He has no idea that he has unwittingly been a part of a massive conspiracy to hand Earth and her colonies over to an alien race, just so Schroeder can be ADMINISTRATOR OF THE FUCKING PLANET.

I can’t. I can’t believe this.

Even if you go as far back as the first chapter, that chapter-long fart joke? Is part of the conspiracy. How much do you want to bet that the Moeller’s family tragedy was set-up, too?

This is so fucked up.

Oh my god, I hadn’t even thought about Narf-win-Getag’s massive legalese info dump about the lawsuit his people were filing against the United Nations of Earth. IT’S A PLOY. OH MY GOD.

Well, wait. Narf does want Robin ultimately, and it sounds like the process isn’t going to be terribly conducive to her living, though we still don’t know what happens after they read her DNA and her brainwaves. That hasn’t been made clear.

Regardless, I can’t believe how deep and complex this conspiracy is. It’s going to have ridiculous ramifications for all the other story lines, too!

UGH I CAN’T EVEN READ ABOUT PHIPPS’S LUNCH MEETING WITH JAVNA BECAUSE IT KIND OF MAKES ME SUPER SAD FOR HIM. Sort of? Wait, I’ll get to that later.

Let’s talk about Archie. God, I should have known that Acuna called Archie by his real name for a reason. He was on to him. How much longer is Archie going to survive? Because the treatment he’s getting isn’t going well at all, though I did wonder one thing: Weren’t the Church of the Evolved Lamb getting constant and frequent updates from Archie every time that Acuna tortured him? Do they know what’s happened? Are they too occupied with pursuing Robin? And what’s going on with Fixer?

“Brian was having fun being the smartest computer ever.” You little shit, you’re so great.

One billion percent not okay with the Achilles tendon scene. Yeah, that’s one of the few things that always gets to me. UGH, ARCHIE, THIS SUCKS.

Okay, let’s finally get to Phipps and Schroeder. Casual reminder that Phipps told Javna that he had someone to blame who was actually guilty and crying. He walked right into a disaster that was going to be impossible to get out of.

Poor Phipps. 🙁 🙁 🙁

I mean… think about it. The guy was obviously corrupt, but at the very moment where he developed a conscience, right when he decided he needed to defend the safety and sovereignty of his country, he’s murdered by Narf-win-Getag. Dude… that sucks so much.

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING, BY THE WAY. I know I’ve conveyed that already, but I can’t get over it. fuck FUCK.

The original text and the second/third videos below contain the words “whackjob,” “mad,” and “insane.”